Talon Digest

alon Letter From the T “This is not a date you often see. More like, NEVER see.

11/11/11. Wow. That’s intense.

It’s so intense they dedicated an entire day to it!

HA! My humor is dry. That day is called… One Day On Earth.

OnedayonEarth.org is a global site that asked everyone around the world to take pictures and video of anything happening on the day, especially major events like births, deaths, important political issues, famous landmarks, etc.

You get the idea.”

-­Liz Carrol Students in the Writing Across Media class participated in the second ever “One Day on Earth” media project. You can visit their stories and videos at www.talonnews360.net.

Editorial Policy The Talon News Magazine is produced by students of Avila University. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not QHFHVVDULO\ UHÁHFW WKRVH RI WKH 7DORQ 1HZV Staff, the Trustees, administration, faculty, or staff of the University. The Talon News Magazine encourages letters to the editor.

These may be submitted electronically or in writing and should include the writer’s name, address, and telephone numbers for YHULÀFDWLRQ SXUSRVHV /HWWHUV FDQ EH PDLOHG to the Talon News Magazine Editor, Avila University, 11901 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145. The Talon reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space, clarity, or inappropriate language. Copies of the Talon News Network Operational Guidelines may be requested by writing to the above referenced address.

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Contents of the Talon Fall Sports Wrap-­Up pg. 4 Mr. Eagle pg. 6 A Gift This Season pg. 7 5 Ways to Survive the Holidays on a Budget pg. 10 )RU WKHLU 6HUYLFH DQG 6DFUL¿FH pg. 12 A Mid Summer Night’s Dream pg. 15 Blog Corner pg. 16-­23

Operation Santa Recap Felicia  DePriest

After  a  month  of  donations  pouring  in,  Campus  Ministry’s  Operation  Santa  ended  on  October  26.   The  service  project,  dedicated  to  creating  stockings  for  Marines  overseas,  was  a  success.  “We  were  able  to  get  so  many  donations  from  our  students,  faculty,  and  those  outside  of  the  Avila  community,â€?  said  Brittany  Rose,  a  third  year  student  heading  Operation  Santa.  Rose  reported  that  the  community  had  brought  in  3  full  boxes  of  donations.  These  donations  consisted  of  food,  notebooks,  pens,  socks,  toiletries,  and  many  other  items.   The  donations  allowed  the  Campus  Ministry  to  create  nearly  100  stockings  for  Marines.  Over  Fall  Break,  the  donated  items  were  WDNHQ WR 6SULQJÂżHOG 02 ,Q 6SULQJÂżHOG Marine  Corps  Family  Foundation  members  sorted  the  donated  items  and  then  the  items  were  then  packed  and  shipped  to  Marines  overseas.  Second  year  student,  Rachael  Beard,  personally  delivered  the  items  to  the  home  of  a  MCFF  members.   “When  they  saw  all  that  we  collected‌they  both  thanked  me  repeatedly  and  said  how  this  will  help  so Â

much.  I  can’t  quite  express  how  thankful  they  were.â€?  Also  brought  in  through  Operation  Santa  were  150  letters.  These  letters,  written  by  the  community,  were  placed  in  the  Marines’  stockings  to  create  a  personal  element.  “It  may  not  seem  like  much  but  those  items  and  letters  of  gratitude  really  help  our  servicemen  and  women  know  that  we  DSSUHFLDWH WKH VDFULÂżFHV WKH\ PDNH HYHU\ day  for  us,â€?  said  Beard.  Students  who  wrote  letters  may  receive  a  response  from  Marines.  “We  put  the  Avila  address  on  each  envelope.  So  if  they  UHVSRQG ZH ZLOO JHW LW DQG ÂżQG WKH VWXGHQW that  it  was  written  to,â€?  said  Rose.  Dave  Armstrong,  Director  of  Mission  Effectiveness  and  Campus  Ministries  at  AU,  was  pleased  with  the  end  results  of  the  project.  “I  can  tell  you  that  the  people  who  coordinated  this  project  did  a  wonderful  job  and  are  excellent  leaders.  Empowering  students  to  help  others  is  what  we  try  to  do  in  our  ministry.â€?

First  year  student,  Rebecca  Molner,  was  surprised  by  the  amount  of  support  the  Avila  community  gave  Operation  Santa.  Molner,  who  co-­headed  the  project  with  Rose,  did  not  know  what  to  expect.   “I  was  not  sure‌ [but]  I  was  pleasantly  surprised  at  how  positive  the  response  was  to  our  project.â€?

7KH VWRFNLQJV ÂżOOHG ZLWK VXSSOLHV DUH expected  to  be  shipped  out  in  mid-­ November.  The  items  will  reach  U.S.  Marines  in  time  for  Christmas.   “I  would  like  to  say  thank  you  to  everyone  who  helped  make  this  project  possible.  I  know  that  the  Marines  who  receive  [the  stockings]  will  be  very  appreciative,â€?  shared  Rose.  Rose  and  Molner  both  were  pleased  with  the  success  of  Operation  Santa.  Both  hope  that  this  fundraiser  will  become  an  Avila  tradition-­  a  tradition  of  giving  back  to  those  who  put  their  lives  on  the  line.

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FALL SPORTS

As  fall  begins  to  draw  to  a  close,  so  does  Avila’s  fall  sports  teams.  Some  teams  rolled,  some  teams  sunk  back  to  old  losing  ways,  and  some  showed  great  promise  and  excitement  for  years  to  come.  Here’s  a  look  at  your  Avila  Eagles  this  fall:

VOLLEYBALL 7KH (DJOHV ÂżQLVKHG XS WKH VHDVRQ ZLWK D 16-­18  overall  record  (2-­7  in  HAAC  play)  and  earned  an  appearance  in  the  Conference  Tourney.  Stat  leaders  for  this  team  had  been  spread  around  pretty  evenly  with  junior  Katelyn  Frakes  leading  the  Eagles  in  Aces  (45)  and  Assists  (1016),  Vanessa  Hemkins  leading  in  Kills  (250),  senior  Nicole  Stewart  in  Digs  (427),  and  senior  Holly  Wilson  in  Blocks  (73).  2nd  year  Head  Coach  Krista  1HZPDQ KDG RYHU ÂżYH WLPHV WKH ZLQV RI ODVW year  and  hopes  to  continue  to  improve  with  a  relatively  young  team  next  season  after  a  3-­0  loss  to  Baker  on  November  5th.  The  Eagles  say  farewell  to  4  seniors  in  Holly  Wilson,  Nicole  Stewart,  Jaysa  Hartman,  and  Sara  Boatwright. Â

SOCCER

Women’s  Soccer  took  a  huge  step  forward  WKLV VHDVRQ HDUQLQJ WKHLU ¿UVW ELG WR WKH HAAC  Conference  Tournament  since  2008.  At  this  moment  the  Eagles  sit  at  5th  in  the  conference,  but  only  due  to  the  4  ties  on  their  record  (2-­2-­4  in  HAAC  play).  The  Eagles  most  aggressive  scorer,  Danielle  Price,  has  had  a  great  season  and  leads  the  Eagles  in  Assists  (5),  Shots  (80),  and  Shots  on  Goal  (49).  Alyssa  D’Egidio  leads  the  team  in  Goals  with  15.  These  two  have  been  averaging  almost  a  goal  per  game  and  are  a  big  reason  for  the  step  forward  this  year.  Stephanie  Gartner  has  also  had  a  solid  year  as  the  Goalie  with  71  Saves.  In  the  conference  tournament  they  dropped  a  hard  fought  decision  to  Baker  University  LQ D VHPL ¿QDO SOD\RII JDPH 7KH (DJOHV ¿QLVKHG ZLWK DQ RXWVWDQGLQJ UHFRUG RI -­3-­5.

Men’s  Soccer  posted  their  best  record  under  Head  Coach  Chris  Clements  this  year  with  a  7-­11  record  ending  with  a  1-­0  loss  to  Mid-­ America  Nazarene  last  Wednesday.  Slowly  but  surely  the  Eagles  continue  to  improve  in  the  win  column  since  Clements  took  over  in  2008,  though  it  isn’t  enough  to  NHHS KLP VDWLVÂżHG Âł:HUH GLVDSSRLQWHG in  the  way  the  season  ended,  and  we  didn’t  reach  our  goal  of  making  the  conference  tournament,  but  it  was  a  step  in  the  right  direction.â€?  The  Eagles  graduate  5  seniors  this  year  in  Guillermo  Zuniga,  Tyler  Nichol,  Paul  Hillbrand,  Michael  Brennan,  and  Brian  Garrison,  with  Guillermo  and  Paul  being  WKH ÂżUVW SOD\HUV WR UHPDLQ XQGHU the  tutelage  of  Coach  Clements  for  all  four  years. Â

WRAP-­UP

Peter  Kondracki

FOOTBALL The  Eagles  continued  improvement  from  the  beginning  of  the  season  when  they  played  their  ¿QDO JDPH DW 3HUX 6WDWH E\ winning  an  exciting  game  26-­23.  After  a  dismal  0-­6  start  to  the  year,  the  Eagles  have  hung  tough  under  1st  year  Head  Coach  Justin  Berna  winning  3  of  their  last  4.  While  WU\LQJ WR ¿QG DQ LGHQWLW\ LQ the  beginning  of  the  season  offensively,  the  Eagles  defense  kept  them  in  games  for  most  of  Looking  to  continue  building  the  Eagles  2nd  the  60  minutes  of  play.  Now  the  offense  has  year  Men’s  Cross  Country  program  under  Coach  Dave  Denny  and  they  certainly  did  with  found  itself  under  Quarterback  Jacob  Hicks  a  better  season  this  time  around.  The  Eagles  and  put  on  a  show  at  home  with  a  50-­22  placed  7th  of  8  in  the  HAAC  Championships  thumping  of  Graceland  on  Senior  Day.  They  after  not  making  the  Championship  last  year  in  sent  seniors  MJ  Bland,  Marc  Benavidez,  the  programs  early  beginning.  The  Eagles  will  Tyler  Cardwell,  John  Hicks,  Zach  Johnson,  have  all  but  senior  Adam  McGovern  returning  &KULV 0RUH¿HOG .RG\ 3DUNHU -DUHWW %URRNV next  year  as  the  program  continues  to  build.

Dale  Deetz,  Phil  Gallagher,  Josh  Lohkamp,  and  Peter  Kondracki,  Adam  Mattison,  Philip  Avila  placed  in  three  runs  (9th  of  10,  8th  of  Lind,  and  Don  Kiser  off  with  a  win  in  their  8,  and  7th  of  8)  in  the  Tabor  Invitational,  ¿QDO JDPH the  Gary  Stoner  Invitational,  and  the  HAAC  Championships.  The  Eagles  graduate  one  senior  in  Katie  Noland. Â

CROSS COUNTRY

Eagle  cross  country  runner,  Adam  McGovern  competed  in  the  NAIA  National  Cross  Country  Championship  Meet  in  Vancouver,  Washington.    He  was  one  of  only  two  Heart  of  America  Athletic  Conference  runners  to  earn  a  spot  in  the  national  meet  for  the  second  straight  year.

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MR. EAGLE Spring  of  2012  will  mark  the  third  annual  Mr.  Eagle:  Big  Man  on  Campus  competition.  The  competition,  sponsored  by  Avila’s  Group  $FWLYLWLHV 3URJUDPPLQJ LV D IXQ ¿OOHG HYHQW that  raises  money  for  a  good  cause.

Helping  to  lay  the  foundation  for  this  year’s  Mr.  Eagle  competition  are  Kat  Guyer  and  Wendi  Fugitt.

Kat  Guyer,  a  graduate  student  at  AU,  has  been  LQYROYHG ZLWK 0U (DJOH VLQFH LWV ¿UVW \HDU ,Q 2010,  current  Avila  Senior,  Danielle  McMillin,  had  the  idea  to  host  a  male  beauty  pageant  at  AU.   While  an  undergraduate  student  at  Missouri  Western  State  University,  Guyer’s  fraternity  put  on  a  similar  event.  Guyer  was  eager  to  help  McMillin  make  the  Mr.  Eagle  competition  a  reality.

Also  helping  organize  the  event  is  Wendi  Fugitt,  Assistant  Resident  Life  Coordinator  and  GAP  advisor.

Fugitt  has  personal  experience  with  pageants,  having  competed  in  over  13  pageants  at  both  the  state  and  national  level.  As  a  current  title  holder  of  Missouri  Dream  Girls  U.S.A.  Supreme  Mother/Daughter  Queens,  she  knows  what  it  takes  to  prepare  for  a  pageant.  To  become  a  contestant,  the  male  Avila  student  PXVW ÂżUVW EH QRPLQDWHG Âł$Q\RQH FDQ PDNH a  nomination  for  Mr.  Eagle.  It  can  be  a  sports  team,  department,  organization,  even  work  studies,â€?  explained  Guyer.  “The  only  thing  we  want  is  for  it  to  be  a  student  on  campus.  Even  a  graduate  student.â€?

Nomination  applications  will  be  emailed  to  coaches  and  departments  as  soon  as  they  are  available.  They  will  also  be  available  in  the  &DPSXV /LIH 2IÂżFH ZLWK 'HEELH 7KRUWRQ The  annual  competition  begins  with  an  introduction  of  the  contestants.  The  contestants  then  partake  in  the  casual  wear,  formal  wear,  costume,  talent,  and  question  events.    “It’s Â

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Felicia  DePriest really  fun,â€?  said  Guyer.  “We  ask  goofy  questions,  like  if  you  were  an  ice  cream,  what  ÀDYRU ZRXOG \RX EH"´ Judging  the  contestants  will  be  members  of  the  Avila  community.  In  past  years,  Nurse  Carol  Frevert,  Susan  Wulff,  and  Debbie  Thorton  were  just  some  of  the  familiar  faces  seen  on  the  judging  panel.

The  judges  will  evaluate  contestants,  giving  out  awards  for  Mr.  Talent,  Mr.  Formal  Wear,  Mr.  Costume,  and  eventually,  the  coveted  title  of  Mr.  Eagle.

Former  Mr.  Eagle  competitor,  Chuck  Davis,  encourages  his  peers  to  get  involved.  Davis  competed  his  sophomore  year  and  served  as  a  judge  last  year.  “Have  fun  with  it.  There  is  no  reason  to  be  nervous!�

Davis  had  nothing  but  good  things  to  say  about  participating  in  Mr.  Eagle.  “I  think  the  most  memorable  aspect  would  be  the  camaraderie  amongst  contestants.  It  is  cool  to  see  the  bonding  that  happens  when  a  group  of  men  share  in  complete  and  utter  embarrassment,�  joked  Davis.

The  Mr.  Eagle  competition  is  not  only  a  competition  but  also  a  fundraiser.  Through  Mr.  Eagle,  GAP  raises  money  for  Polycystic  Kidney  Disease  and  canned  goods  for  Harvester’s.  “We  ask  contestants  to  pay  a  $10  admission  fee.  Then  we  ask  the  audience  for  a  $1  admission  fee  or  canned  items,�  said  Guyer.  The  donations  go  directly  towards  the  two  organizations.

Guyer  explained  that  PKD  is  an  organization  close  the  hearts  of  GAP  members.  “We  all  know  someone  suffering  from  the  disease.  We  want  to  KHOS ÂżQG D FXUH ´ The  Mr.  Eagle  competition  is  scheduled  to  be  KHOG LQ WKH :KLWÂżHOG &RQIHUHQFH &HQWHU RQ April  20,  2012.

For  more  information  about  the  event  contact  Kat  Guyer  or  Wendi  Fugitt.  For  pictures  of  last  year’s  Mr.  Eagle,  visit  GAP’s  Facebook  page. Â

A Gift This Season Jessica Morrow

The  Holidays  are  quickly  approaching  and  with  that  student’s  minds  are  on  many  different  things.  Gifts  for  family  members,  home  made  meals,  but  most  importantly  is  the  month  long  break  that  they  will  have  from  classes.  This  is  supposed  to  be  a  joyful  time  spent  with  family  and  friends;͞  also  it  is  a  time  to  be  thankful  for  the  many  things  that  we  have  been  blessed  with!

However,  there  are  people  in  our  area  that  aren’t  as  privileged.  They  aren’t  worried  about  gifts  or  travel,  but  rather  how  they  are  going  to  stay  warm  in  the  following  bitter  winter  months  and  where  their  next  meal  will  come  from.  Hunger  is  a  term  that  is  used  loosely.  We  all  think  we  have  experienced  true  hunger.  Those  times  between  breakfast  and  lunch  when  we  are  sitting  in  a  math  class,  listening  to  our  stomachs  growl,  counting  the  minutes  until  the  end  of  class  do  we  could  run  to  the  caf  or  to  Subway.  But,  what  if  there  wasn’t  a  cafeteria  for  you  to  run  to  so  that  \RX FRXOG JUDE OXQFK" :KDW LI WKHUH ZDVQÂśW DQ\ IRRG LQ \RXU UHIULJHUDWRU" 5HVLGHQWV RI .DQVDV &LW\ experience  this  everyday.  Hunger.  Some  people  think  that  the  only  ones  suffering  from  hunger  are  those  who  are  homeless.  There  are  everyday  people  with  families  and  homes  that  suffer  from  hunger.  Situations  that  arise  in  a  person’s  life  can  cause  them  to  lose  their  normal  income,  which  can  bring  about  many  problems.  Some  parents  are  faced  with  the  decision  of  whether  to  pay  their  electric  bill  or  buy  food  for  their  family.  According  to  the  Harvesters  website,  “Thelma,  75,  and  her  husband,  81,  have  extensive  medical  bills  their  insurance  didn’t  cover.  Without  help,  they’d  have  to  choose  between  paying  their  bills  or  buying  food.â€?  This  instance  shows  that  normal  people  do  need  help  from  time  to  time.  Of  the  up  to  66,000  Harvesters  helps  every  week,  half  are  children  or  seniors.  And  40  percent  of  the  households  they  serve  have  at  least  one  person  working.  So,  the  stereotypical  homeless  man  in  line  at  a  soup  kitchen  is  far  from  the  norm.  Nearly  half  (48%)  of  households  have  at  least  one  adult  who  is  working.  Sixty-­nine  percent  have  incomes  at  or  below  poverty.  This  means  that  even  though  people  are  working  to  attempt  to  provide  for  their  families  they  are  still  unable  to. Â

As  this  area’s  only  food  bank,  Harvesters  is  a  clearinghouse  for  the  collection  and  distribution  of  food  and  related  household  products.  They  have  been  helping  people  in  need  since  1979  by  collecting  food  and  household  products  from  community  and  industry  sources.  Next,  they  are  responsible  for  distributing  those  products  and  providing  nutrition  services  through  a  network  of  QRQSUR¿W DJHQFLHV )LQDOO\ WKH\ RIIHU OHDGHUVKLS and  education  programs  to  increase  community  awareness  of  hunger  and  generate  solutions  to  alleviate  hunger.

Student’s  thoughts  about  the  topic  are  that  the  individuals  affected  aren’t  near  us  or  that  we  can’t  do  anything  to  help.  Those  people  who  think  this  way  are  wrong!  Harvesters  relies  heavily  on  volunteers.  Hours  spent  by  volunteers  sorting  food,  assisting  at  special  events  or  providing  professional  services  translate  into  the  work  of  approximately  64  full-­time  employees  per  year.  Just  one  hour  or  afternoon  of  your  time  can  make  a  difference!

Give  a  real  gift  this  holiday.  Use  one  of  the  days  you  have  off  during  the  month-­long  vacation  from  classes  take  a  few  hours  to  help  out  your  neighbor  by  volunteering  at  Harvesters.  It  will  make  eating  those  big  holiday  meals  even  more  enjoyable  knowing  that  you  helped  put  food  on  someone  else’s  table.  Simply  go  to  Harvesters  website  and  click  on  the  link  that  says,  “GIVE  TIME.�  They  will  provide  you  with  simple  instructions  on  how  to  volunteer. www.harvesters.org

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Ways  to  Survive the  Holidays on  a  Budget

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Jessica  Morrow Christmas  is  right  around  the  corner  and  you  have  great  friends  and  a  loving  family.  You  want  to  get  them  great  gifts  like  they  give  you‌  ULJKW" $V D FROOHJH VWXGHQW RQ D YHU\ WLJKW budget  this  can  be  a  dilemma.  Worry  no  more!  There  are  many  things  you  can  do  for  the  gift-­ giving  season  that  won’t  leave  you  completely  broke  for  the  New  Year.  Here  are  simple  ways  to  make  the  most  out  of  your  money  this  holiday  season! #1  Avoid  Peak  Travel  Days :KHQ Ă€\LQJ DURXQG WKH FRXQWU\ WR YLVLW IDPLO\ WU\ WR DYRLG Ă€\LQJ RQ WKH GD\V MXVW before  or  after  the  holiday.  For  instance  you  ZLOO VDYH DERXW RQ Ă€LJKW FRVWV LI \RX FKRRVH WR Ă€\ RXW RQ 7KDQNVJLYLQJ PRUQLQJ and  return  the  following  Saturday  (instead  of  Sunday).    Also,  you  need  to  know  the  cheap  GD\V WR Ă€\ $FFRUGLQJ WR D VWXG\ FRQGXFWHG by  Farecompare.com,  the  cheapest  domestic  departure  dates  fall  on  Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Saturday. #  2  Be  Brave  and  Shop  on  Black  Friday The  crowds  are  crazy  and  the  sales  start  early,  but  when  you’re  on  a  tight  budget  you  can’t  be  picky!  You  can  check  online  at  stores  WKDW \RX PD\ ÂżQG JLIWV for  your  loved  ones  to  see  their  sales.  Wal-­Mart,  Target,  Macy’s  etc.  are  all  stores  that  offer  huge  savings  on  the  GD\ DIWHU 7KDQNVJLYLQJ 6R ÂżQG VSHFLÂżFDOO\ what  you  want  to  get  and  go  to  the  store  that  morning  looking  for  that  item.  This  isn’t  a  time Â

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to  browse.  Get  what  you  need  and  move  on  to  the  next  sale.  Don’t  forget  to  pack  a  turkey  sandwich,  so  you  don’t  have  to  buy  lunch! #  3  Collaborate  Remember  the  days  when  you  and  your  siblings  would  come  up  with  a  song  to  perform  for  you  parents  or  make  a  picture  for  them  on  a  rainy  GD\" 7KLQN DORQJ WKRVH OLQHV EXW WKLV WLPH SXW your  money  together  instead  of  harmonizing  a  song.  Find  a  gift  that  both  of  your  parents  would  enjoy  like  a  T.V.,  tickets  to  a  concert,  or  anything  that  can  be  used  around  the  house  or  lawn.  Next  talk  to  your  siblings  and  pitch  in  together  to  get  the  gift!  This  is  an  easy  way  to  get  them  something  you  wouldn’t  be  able  to  afford  on  your  own.  This  can  also  work  with  a  group  of  friends! #  4  Layaway Some  stores  offer  a  layaway  program.  This  allows  shoppers  to  pick  out  things  they  want  and  pay  on  the  item  a  little  at  a  time.  So,  take  a  set  amount  and  pay  on  the  gift  and  by  the  time  Christmas  is  here  you  will  have  paid  it  off  and  not  broken  your  bank! #  5  Get  Crafty If  all  else  fails,  make  a  gift!  There  are  many  arts  and  crafts  sites  on  the  internet  that  provide  step  by  step  instructions  on  how  to  make  everything  from  wreaths  to  cookie  mix.  These  are  very  simple  and  affordable  ways  to  please  who  ever  is  on  your  list!

Now  that  you  have  5  ways  to  survive  the  holiday  season  on  a  budget,  get  to  gifting!  But,  always  remember  the  real  reason  for  the  holidays  and  that  is  nothing  that  can  be  found  in  any  store. Â

9Xjb\kYXcc Gi\m`\n Kelby  Phelps

Women’s  Basketball It’s  time  for  basketball  season  again  here  at  Avila  University.  After  an  exciting  season  last  year  for  the  Lady  Eagles,  they  are  excited  for  another  successful  year.  Returning  two  all  conference  players,  Torie  Murillo  and  Brittany  7RZQVHQG DOVR VHQLRUV ZKR HDUQHG ÂżUVW WHDP and  third-­team  HAAC  All  Conference  honors  respectively,  Coach  Larry  Williams  is  optimistic  for  this  season.  Another  senior  coming  back  from  an  ACL  injury  last  season  is  Loganne  Grider,  who  was  a  starter  prior  to  her  injury.  The  Lady  Eagles  have  been  limited  in  their  preseason  practices  due  to  injuries,  but  remain  hopeful  for  HAAC  Conference  play  to  have  all  their  pieces  in  place  for  the  remainder  of  WKH VHDVRQ ,Q WKHLU ÂżUVW QRQ FRQIHUHQFH WHVW RI the  season,  the  Lady  Eagles  had  no  problem  with  Ottawa  University  defeating  them  67-­59.  Courtney  Gimlin,  a  former  Eagle  making  her  comeback  debut  led  all  scorers  with  17  points.  The  balanced  scoring  of  the  Eagles  proved  too  much  for  Ottawa.  Junior  Cassie  Bruner  LQ KHU ÂżUVW JDPH DV DQ (DJOH SXOOHG GRZQ rebounds  (game  high)  and  made  two  free  throws  in  the  contest.  Freshman  Rebekah  Capeder  DOPRVW PDQDJHG D GRXEOH GRXEOH LQ KHU ÂżUVW collegiate  game  with  11  points  and  9  rebounds.  Senior  leader  Torie  Murillo,  last  year’s  HAAC  Conference  Defensive  player  of  the  Year,  led  with  6  assists,  6  rebounds,  and  5  points  in  an  all  around  performance.  %HLQJ SLFNHG WR ÂżQLVK QG LQ WKH +HDUW RI America  Conference  this  year,  the  Lady  Eagles  are  very  optimistic  for  this  season  coming  off  of  a  National  Tournament  Appearance  and  HAAC  Conference  Tournament  Championship  last  year.  They  are  off  to  a  great  start  already. Â

Men’s  Basketball As  for  the  Men’s  Basketball  team,  coming  off  a  VHDVRQ DQG WKH ÂżUVW VHDVRQ ZLWK QHZ KHDG FRDFK 5RGQH\ 3HUU\ WKH\ DUH SLFNHG WR ÂżQLVK WK LQ the  HAAC  this  year.  Having  only  four  players  who  logged  minutes  last  season  returning,  there  will  be  plenty  of  new  faces  on  the  court  for  the  Eagles.  Having  three  seniors  this  season  in  Kevin  Booker  (Honorable  Mention  HAAC  All-­Conference),  Austin  Stockard,  and  Ben  Dierkes,  Coach  Perry  is  looking  for  big  things  from  all  three  guys.  Coming  in  at  the  point  guard  position  this  year  is  a  freshman  from  Hazelwood  Central  High  School  in  St.  Louis,  Curtis  “Boppâ€?  Churchman.  Also  making  a  return  to  WKH Ă€RRU WKLV VHDVRQ LV WKH 6PLWK %URWKHUV $QGUHZ and  Zach,  both  should  be  big  time  contributors  this  year.  Filling  a  void  in  the  middle  is  a  new  comer  from  Oakland,  California,  a  6-­8,  240-­pound  Lewis  Lowe.  The  Eagles  started  the  season  off  on  a  positive  note  with  a  win  at  home  against  Ottawa  University  in  a  90-­59  blowout.  With  Dierkes  and  Stockard  SRXULQJ LQ SRLQWV HDFK DQG &KXUFKPDQ Ă€LUWLQJ with  a  triple  double  in  his  debut  as  an  Eagle  with  12  points,  7  steals,  and  7  rebounds,  the  Eagles  proved  to  be  too  much  for  Ottawa  to  handle.  Lowe  also  grabbed  10  boards  in  only  19  minutes  of  play  to  lead  all  players.  The  Eagles  pressure  defense  smothered  the  Braves  allowing  only  on  player  to  VFRUH LQ GRXEOH ÂżJXUHV The  Eagles  turned  around  and  played  Tabor  College  only  three  days  later  and  did  not  play  up  to  their  potential.  Coming  out  slow  and  giving  up  an  early  lead,  the  Eagles  were  never  able  to  gain  the  lead  in  the  contest.  The  Eagles  didn’t  guard  the  same  as  in  their  previous  game  and  gave  up  82  points  in  the  loss  to  Tabor  College.  Following  the  loss,  the  Eagles  came  out  with  more  of  a  team  effort  in  their  third  home  game  against  NCAA  Division  II,  Lincoln  University.  Sparked  by  the  scoring  of  Zach  Smith,  who  poured  in  25  points  in  the  contest,  the  Eagles  were  able  to  rally  from  behind  and  pull  out  an  overtime  victory  against  the  Blue  Tigers.  Senior  Kevin  Booker  logged  his  ¿UVW GRXEOH GRXEOH RI WKH VHDVRQ ZLWK SRLQWV and  12  rebounds.  Sophomore  guard  Andrew  Smith  made  the  biggest  play  of  the  game  with  his  hustle  on  a  steal  in  the  backcourt  to  help  give  the  Eagles  WKH PRPHQWXP WKH\ QHHGHG WR ÂżQLVK RXW WKH JDPH Smith  ended  the  game  with  10  rebounds,  3  points,  and  3  steals.

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Words  spoken  from  the  mouth  of  President  Obama  as  he  addressed  the  nation  on  job  creating  and  economic  topics  on  March  19,  2009.  Since  then,  Obama  has  continued  to  unite  his  ideology  of  America  building  through  job  creation  and  incorporating  the  spirit  of  Veterans  into  the  equation.  A  question  could  be  asked,  what  is  the  VLJQLÂżFDQFH RI D 9HWHUDQ LQ SDUWLFXODU FRPSDUHG WR RWKHU JURXSV LQ $PHULFD" According  to  Obama,  individuals  who  volunteer  to  take  orders  in  some  of  the  most  dangerous  situations,  who  then  transition  back  to  civilian  life  take  leadership  experience,  mastery  of  technology,  ability  to  adapt  to  changing  circumstances  and  became  strong  leaders  at  home. Â

As  Obama’s  speech  on  March  19th  continued  he  mentioned  a  Veteran  name,  Nick  Colgan,  who  was  a  combat  medic  for  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  and  won  a  Bronze  Star  for  his  performance.  However  back  home  in  Wyoming,  Nick’s  skills  in  education  and  talents  couldn’t  land  him  a  job  as  D ÂżUVW UHVSRQGHU +H WKHQ FRQWLQXHG taking  college  courses  using  his  GI  Bill  (courses  which  Obama  says,  Nick  could  have  taught  a  few)  just  so  he  could  qualify  for  the  same  duties  at  home  that  he  had  done  in  Afghanistan.  “That  isn’t  right  and  it  doesn’t  make  any  sense.  Not  for  our  Veterans,  and  not  for  the  strength  of  our  Country.  If  you  can  save  a  life  in  Afghanistan,  you  can  save  a  life  in  Wyomingâ€?  said  Obama.  Cases  such  as  Nick’s  are  not  rare;Íž  they’re  actually  the  norm  for  the  911  generation  veteran.  Not  only  will  this  generation  be  the  largest  Veteran  generation  in  American  history,  but  because  of  technological  advancements  through  medicine  and  other  innovations,  this  will  be  the  largest  socially  functional  group  of  Veterans.  :KDW GRHV WKLV PHDQ IRU $PHULFD" Imagine  the  Vietnam  Veteran  situation,  times  ten.  Â

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Obama  and  his  administration  have  put  in  place  additions  to  the  educational  GI Â

‘)RU WKHLU VHUYLFH DQG VDFULÂżFH ZDUP ZRUGV RI WKDQNV IURP D JUDWHIXO QDWLRQ DUH PRUH WKDQ ZDUUDQWHG EXW WKH\ DUHQÂśW QHDUO\ HQRXJK :H DOVR RZH RXU YHWHUDQV WKH FDUH WKH\ ZHUH SURPLVHG DQG WKH EHQHÂżWV WKDW WKH\ KDYH HDUQHG Âś Â

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e[ JXZi`]`Z\ Bill  and  implementation  of  a  “Reverse  Boot  Campâ€?  as  well  as  a  number  of  methods  trying  to  spark  reintegration  of  Veterans  into  society.  He  has  also  begun  offering  tax  cuts  to  companies  that  hire  Veterans  and  or  their  spouses.  Though  Obama  can  spread  ideas  in  speeches  and  on  paper,  it’s  ultimately  the  responsibility  or  a  sense  of  want  by  the  American  people  to  want  to  be  involved  in  this  plan  and  it  starts  with  education.  For  Veterans,  this  goal  may  only  be  achieved  by  taking  a  Veteran’s  education,  skills,  talents,  and  experience,  WKHQ ÂżQGLQJ D ZD\ WR DSSO\ WKDW WR KLV RU her  continued  education  and  then  to  their  daily  lives.  Unfortunately,  Government  agencies  such  as  the  Missouri  Board  of  Higher  Education  have  yet  to  provide  a  recommendation  to  Missouri  schools  as  a  way  to  go  about  this  task.  Therefore,  schools  such  as  Avila  opt  to  participate  in  educational  programs  for  Veterans  such  as  the  Yellow  Ribbon  program  ZKLFK SURYLGHV D ÂżQDQFLDO DXJPHQWDWLRQ to  the  GI  Bill  for  tuition  but  does  nothing  for  the  Veteran’s  education.  The  ability  to  pay  does  not  equal  the  ability  to  pass.  Veterans  would  still  be  asked  to  take  unnecessary  courses  that  they’ve  already  acquired  skills  for  through  the  actual  course  work  in  the  military  or  overall  experience  as  Obama  addressed.  Furthermore,  there  is  no  consideration  of  the  Veteran’s  disabilities  that  may  hinder  learning  or  a  detailed  Veteran  orientation  process.  During  an  email  conversation  with  Avila  Provost  Dr.  King,  Dr.  King Â

B_Xc`[ 8Y[lchXX[`i

states  Avila  is  committed  to  completing  degrees  quickly  without  compromising  the  education.  She  also  states  that  Avila  signed  on  to  the  Yellow  Ribbon  program  to  support  military  personal  completing  degrees.  Yet,  when  Veterans  at  Avila  were  asked  about  Avila’s  ability  to  meet  their,  “Academic  and  Educationalâ€?  needs  the  Veterans  responded  with  negative  remarks.  Even  the  Yellow  Ribbon  poster  child  advertised  on  the  Avila  website  for  Veterans  has  expressed  discontent  with  this  situation.  ³, ZDV LQ DFFRXQWLQJ DQG KDYH LW RQ P\ VPDUW WUDQVFULSW EXW $YLOD LV PDNLQJ PH WDNH DFFRXQWLQJ DJDLQ , FRXOG WRWDOO\ XVH QRW KDYLQJ WR WDNH DFFRXQWLQJ EHFDXVH LW ZLOO VDYH PH WLPH DQG PRQH\ WRZDUGV P\ JUDGXDWLRQ ´  stated  by  an  Avila  Veteran.  It  is  hoped  that  through  trial,  error,  and  understanding  these  ideas  of  Obama’s  America  building  with  Veteran  education  will  one  day  become  known.

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Practice?? ³3UDFWLFH" :H WDONLQœ ¾ERXW SUDFWLFH not  a  game,  but  practice!�   This  quote  made  famous  by  NBA  star  Allen  Iverson  embodies  the  attitude  of  the  Avila  Eagles  Football  team  and  their  coaches.   We  needed  all  the  practice  we  could  get  and  as  a  freshman  redshirt,  all  I  ever  did  was  practice.   But  not  only  did  I  just  practice;͞  I  also  observed  a  team  change  throughout  a  season.   I  watched  the  way  we  practice  change;͞  I  saw  leaders  and  playmakers  emerge  out  of  the  group;͞  and  I  witnessed  a  coaching  philosophy  work  with  time.   It  was  an  experience  to  remember  and  something  I  am  proud  to  have  been  a  part  of.

At  the  beginning  of  the  season,  the  team  attitude  was  different.   The  team  had  a  losing  mentality,  but  constantly  moved  toward  learning  a  new  system  and  becoming  accustomed  to  new  guidelines.   For  me  as  a  freshman,  it  was  the  “normâ€?  that  I  always  abided  by.   But  the  change  didn’t  come  without  discomfort,  as  many  people  complained  about  the  new  rules  and  regulations.  As  time  went  by  though,  the  changes  became  second  nature  and  the  team  began  to  change  for  the  better.   The  team  has  had  a  great  season  this  year  compared  to  past  seasons  and  has  made  many  strides  forward.   I  know  the  team  will  continue  to  get  better  and  mature  into  a  team  that  can  compete  with  all  teams  in  the  conference.   As  a  freshman  in  a  new Â

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Micah  Robinson

system,  I  have  had  an  enjoyable  redshirt  year.   I  have  always  tried  to  work  on  my  technique  and  learn  from  my  coaches.   It  was  a  year  of  morning  weights,  constant  ¿OP VWXG\ DQG SUDFWLFH Âł1RW D JDPH but  practice!â€?  The  morning  weights  were  the  worst  though.   My  allotted  time  slot  to  lift  weights  in  was  6:50  a.m.  on  the  dot  and  you  couldn’t  be  a  second  late  or  you  were  penalized  and  had  to  crab  walk  on  Monday,  our  only  day  off.   Although  that  was  motivation  for  me  to  get  up  and  be  at  workouts  on  time,  the  main  motivation  was  to  get  better.   My  motivation  was  to  keep  practicing  hard  even  though  I  knew  I  wouldn’t  be  able  to  play  this  season-­to  get  better  with  “practice.â€?

Out  of  all  of  the  lessons  I’ve  learned  throughout  this  season,  the  one  that  stands  out  to  me  is  the  importance  of  practice.   7KH ZD\ \RX SUDFWLFH GH¿QLWHO\ DIIHFWV \RXU SHUIRUPDQFH RQ WKH ¿HOG VR DV WKH clichÊ  goes,  you  truly  do  play  how  you  practice.   I  have  to  credit  the  coaches  for  understanding  this  because  they  always  stress  on  having  a  good  practice  and  getting  better  as  a  team.   As  we  began  to  practice  better,  our  in-­game  results  improved  and  we  started  to  win  games.   As  we  continue  to  practice  and  gel  together  as  a  team,  with  time,  Avila  football  will  easily  become  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with.

“Hot Apps”

By James Chapman

Instagram: Recently voted top 5 applications to be downloaded in the last month, Instagram has the ability to enhance your photo album. Instagram has many features to its application and will never get boring to anyone who enjoys photo’s.

RingtoneMaker: One of the best ap-­ plications to be created for the iphone, an easy and FREE ringtone maker! Have the song you want on your iphone and with just a few steps you can customize your ringtone to exactly what you want. I recommend this app to anyone who doesn’t want to jailbreak their phone, or just tired of paying for ringtones.

A Mid Summer Night’s Dream Austin Stockard

$QWLFLSDWLRQ ¿OOHG *RSSHUW 7KHDWHU on opening night, November 17, of William Shakespeare’s, $ 0LG 6XPPHU 1LJKW¶V 'UHDP. Avila has built up a great reputation for the plays they preform. $ 0LG 6XPPHU 1LJKW¶V 'UHDP did not disappoint. The energy on the stage was H[FHSWLRQDO DQG NHSW WKH FURZG ¿[HG RQ the stage. The language used in many of Shakespeare’s plays makes it very hard to follow. This task makes it harder for the actors. Not only do they have to memorize lines that would seem like a foreign language, but they must also explain what is going on by their actions.

Normally Shakespeare plays leave the actors dazed and confused.

Fortunately, the acting was outstanding and made the play easy to follow. One thing that made this play hard to watch was knowing it was Lyle Uttley’s last

performance at Goppert. His last role was perfect for the seasoned vet. He left the whole crowd laughing. Lyle you will be missed very much and thank you for your great performances throughout the years.

Fortunately, for all of us there is still a lot of talent left for future performances. The theater program is just another branch of the Avila community and should be treated like one. So when there is a play everyone should come and support one of Avila’s richest traditions. Don’t do it because you get extra credit, do it because we are all apart of the Avila family. If you go, chances are you will come back for more.

There were no surprises when it came to $ 0LG 6XPPHU 1LJKW¶V 'UHDP It was just another great performance by the Avila theater program.

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Ultimate Wish Day: Strangers on the Street Kara Koehler On November 11, 2011 I went out ZLWK P\ FDPHUD WR ¿QG D VWRU\ , decided to walk around Town Center Plaza in Leawood, KS and ask people what their ultimate wish is. Some people had serious wishes, such as ending homelessness for youth. Some were not so serious. Not everyone knew what I was talking about when I asked what they wished for on Ultimate Wish Day. If you don’t know what it is either I will explain. It begins with the idea of making a wish when the clock displays 11:11 either am or pm on a daily basis. November 11, 2011 was Ultimate Wish Day because at 11:11 on that day it would be 11:11 on 11 11 11. All of these 11’s make for an ultimate wish, greater than your everyday wish. Now back to my story. I had to work up the FRQ¿GHQFH WR DVN FRPSOHWH VWUDQJHUV to answer my question on video.

Each person I passed I saw potential for a great wish, but was nervous to approach them. Finally, I approached P\ ¿UVW SHUVRQ DQG RQFH , H[SODLQHG what it was for he was happy to help me out. After that went well, I found the courage to ask another person and then another. Each person I asked was willing to answer my question on video, although some were a little VNHSWLFDO RI P\ LQWHQWLRQV IRU ¿OPLQJ

16 www.talonnews360.net

them. I reassured them it was for my blog on Ultimate Wish Day that I created for school. It is my hope that DOO RI WKHP DUH DEOH WR ¿QG WKLV EORJ even though I neglected to tell them the title of my blog. I am grateful to all of my participants for allowing me to get a small bit of insight as to what the average person in Leawood, KS was wishing for on Ultimate Wish Day. Although I only asked ten people, I asked a variety of people in order to get a variety of answers. Some may not believe in Ultimate Wish Day, that it is just another day that happens to contain a whole bunch of 11's, but it's a time in a person's life that will never happen again. People have twelve chances in their lifetime to encounter such a day. 1 1 1, 2 2 2, 3 3 3, 4 4 4, 5 5 5, 6 6 6, 7 7 7, 8 8 8, 9 9 9, 10 10 10, 11 11 11, and 12 12 12. My generation has one chance left, but the future generations could make it a goal to partake in all of these special days. You should take the time to do something special on these days if you don't already make each day special.

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You were born an original Don’t become a copy

Attacks of the K-­pop Stars... the Western perception has been changing...

Jason Cheng

On October 23rd, SM Entertainment artists will be heading over to the Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. SM Group was united by many popular Korean bands, they had the World Tour since last year 2010. The Madison Square Garden in par-­ ticular is regarded as a “dream stage” by the singers, as only for those worldwide knows pop star such as Michael Jackson,Lady Gaga and Beyonce etc As we can see not just only people in Asia like SM group, but also the Western nowadays.

Since 2000s, ( Hallyu) becomes a cultural phenomenon all over Asia. Hallyu means .RUHD :DYH RU .RUHDQ IHYHU LW UHIHUV WR WKH ³VLJQL¿FDQWO\ LQFUHDVHG SRSXODULW\ RI South Korean culture around the world.” (Wikipedia.org/Korean Wave). It is driven mostly by Korean TV drama and pop music. South Korean exported millions dollar worth of broadcast programs to all over Asia. Today South Korean is among the world top ten cultural exporters. According to statistics from the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 20.1% of the exported programs went to Taiwan, 9.7% to Japan, 9.4% to Hong Kong, 7.9% to Singapore and 2.8% to Vietnam. From the number we can tell WKH .RUHDQ SRS FXOWXUH EHFRPHV D IRUFH WR EH UHFNRQHG ZLWK DQG LWV LQÀXHQFH VSUHDG over the entire Asia. Unlike the past, Asia is no longer dominated by American pop culture, and fans now are choosing what they consider more Asian as their idols. I think people in Asia perceive the “Korean popular culture as more fresh and trendy and they also feel it contains more Asian values and sentiments.” (CNN NEWS). As the Korean wave becomes more popular in Asia, more and more reporters and journalists devote more time to report about those Korean pop stars’ fashion style, their romantic activities and their look. Television, magazine and radio are full of Korean related topics. Even Korean food and language are also become the hot topics. Because the mass media have D SRZHUIXO LQÀXHQFH LQ RXU OLYHV PXFK RI SRSXODU FXOWXUH LV GHWHUPLQHG WKURXJK RXU interaction with media. The increased coverage of Korean wave has created an image in people’s mind that Korean pop culture is their icon and they should follow their foot-­ step. Many so called Kpop idol groups stated to emerge during this period. The Korean Wave it not only across around the Asia it also across around the world.

Co Blog rn er

Oh Baby!

Heart throb Justin Bieber might be a FATHER! Woahhh! Didn’t see that coming.

According to a twenty year old California woman named Mariah Yeater, her and Bieber had a one nighter in a Staples Center bathroom.

How romantic.

They supposedly had an immediate attraction and one kiss led to a baby making project. Or so she says. <HDWHU KDV ¿OHG FKDUJHV DJLDQVW %LHEHU DOOHJLQJ WKDW KH LV LQGHHG WKH IDWKHU of a three-­month old baby boy. Yeater is willing to take a DNA test to FRQ¿UP KHU VWDWHPHQW It has been reported that the woman claims she had sex with the underage teen idol on October 25 last year when she was aged 19-­years-­old, he was aged 16-­years-­old at the time. I don’t understand why she would even put herself out like that. If the allegations are true, wouldn’t she be in deeper VK W" " That would mean under California law that he was underage and if the claims turn out to be true, Yeater would be guilty of statutory rape of a minor. SMH! This could make or break Bieber. His fans, endorsemments, reputation-­ all of it could vanish by this mishap. Beliebers would be heart broken, girlfriend, Selena Gomez would be devastated, Mentor, Usher would be disappointed. Bieber would have to fall in his Mariah-­made grave if this doesn’t end how it’s expected by many on that Bieber bandwagon.

With all of this happening, Bieber has decided not to speak too much on it. He was gracious enough to try and put his team of Beliebers at ease a little by tweeting, “”all the rumors...the gossip...Im gonna focus on the positives....the music.”

What a vague way to reassure us this isn’t true -­_-­ .

I was like baby, baby, baby, oh, I thought you’d always be mine, mine... Not DQ DSSURSULDWH VRQJ DW WKH PRPHQW PD\EH"

18 www.talonnews360.net

Imagine  grocery  shopping  with  your  husband  and  toddler  child.  You  just  moved  from  California  to  Honolulu,  and  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re....  I  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  knowwwww...  PREGNANT!  You  pick  up  two  sandwiches  to  nibble  on  and  keep  the  package  and  scanner  to  pay  for  it  when  you  get  up  to  the  register.  You  pay  for  your  groceries,  ready  to  leave  when  suddenly,  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  stopped  by  a  security  guard.  You  end  up  getting  arrseted-­you  DQG \RXU KXVEDQG DQG \RXU FKLOG ZHOO WKH\ JHW VHQW RYHU WR VWDWH FXVWRG\ :+<" " Because  for  a  quick  second,  the  sandwich  that  was  about  $5  combined  that  you  ate  and  planned  on  paying  for  slipped  your  mind.  Realizing  this,  you  asked  the  guard  if  you  could  just  pay  for  it  and  you  genuinely  forgot  about  the  sandwiches.  Only  to  KDYH WKH JXDUG GHQ\ \RXU UHTXHVW DQG IRXU KRXUV ODWHU D SROLFH RIÂżFHU DUULYHV DQG reads  you  your  rights  and  a  woman  from  the  state  Child  Welfare  Services  arrived  to  take  your  toddler  away.

8QLPDJLQDEOH KXK" Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  exactly  what  happened  to  former  Air  Force  staff  sergeant,  Nicole  Leszczynski  and  husband,  Marcin  Leszcynski.  A  trip  to  the  grocery  store  turned  for  the  worst.  I  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  believe  drastic  precautions  like  this  should  have  been  taken.  A  simple  mistake  shouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  been  looked  over.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  not  the  fact  that  she  honestly  had  forgotten  while  shopping,  but  she  offered  to  pay  for  it,  explaining  it  escaped  her  mind  and  the  little  IDFW WKDW VKH KDG KHU \HDU ROG GDXJKWHU =RÂżD ZLWK KHU DQG EHLQJ SUHJQDQW GLGQÂśW give  Safeway  supermarket  a  good  look  at  all.

The  couple  was  later  released  on  a  $50  bail  each  and  werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  able  to  see  their  daughter.

Having  something  as  traumatic  as  this  isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  something  the  Leszcynskiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  planned  on  letting  go.

While  waiting  on  the  return  of  their  daughter,  Nicole  decided  speaking  her  mind  on  a  VLWH FDOOHG EDE\FHQWHU FRP DQG FDOOHG IRU D ODZ\HU WR KHOS ZLWK JHWWLQJ =RÂżD EDFN DV soon  as  possible.  Zophia  wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  reunited  with  her  parents  until  18  hours  later.  The  media  was  contacted  about  the  going  ons  with  the  incident,  as  instructed  by  their  lawyer  and  the  story  got  attention.  The  family  hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  decided  whether  it  will  pursue  legal  action  against  Safeway.

All  of  this  because  a  sandwich  wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  payed  for.  EXCUSE  US  SIMPLE  HUMANS  FOR  FORETTING  EVERY  NOW  AND  THEN!

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Co Blog rn er

Peacocks and Owls

Fighting for Control The  U.S.  government  is  attempting  to  require  that  tobacco  companies  put  graphic  images  as  warnings  of  the  consequences  of  smoking  on  cigarette  packs.  This  will  likely  have  great  emotional  appeal  if  the  law  gets  passed.  My  bet  is  that  it  won't  get  passed.  :K\ QRW" :HOO OLNH WREDFFR FRPSDQLHV DUH DUJXLQJ WKLV YLRODWHV WKHLU ÂżUVW DPHQGPHQW ULJKW 5HTXLULQJ WKHVH JUDSKLF LPDJHV LV DQ attempt  at  controlling  how  tobacco  companies  are  received  by  the  public.  I  myself  am  not  a  smoker,  but  if  people  want  to  smoke  they  have  a  right  to.  Most  everyone  knows  the  consequences  of  smoking;Íž  they  shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  need  to  see  graphic  images  to  keep  them  from  doing  so.  In  school  we  are  bombarded  with  these  images  as  a  way  of  keeping  us  from  trying  smoking  along  with  all  the  other  substances  we  are  told  not  to  ingest.  People  know  what  WKH\ DUH JHWWLQJ LQWR ZKHQ WKH\ VPRNH WKHLU ÂżUVW FLJDUHWWH <HV most  people  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  think  they  will  become  addicted.  Yes,  scaring  people  is  a  great  way  of  grabbing  and  keeping  their  attention.  No,  it  is  not  within  the  constitutional  rights  to  force  people  to  scare  consumers  away  from  their  product  when  everyone  knows  it  is  a  dangerous  product.  This  kind  of  control  is  like  how  we  are  limited  to  what  we  are  able  to  watch.  When  consumers  see  they  have  a  thousand  channels  they  think  they  have  a  world  of  options.  The  problem  is  that  six  major  companies  control  most  of  our  media.  This  means  that  what  we  are  allowed  to  watch  and  what  kind  of  bias  our  news  stations  have  are  limited  to  a  select  group.  Somewhere  there  has  to  be  a  line  drawn  on  what  we  allow  the  government  to  control  and  what  we  keep  in  our  own  hands.

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Who Cares? You Should Technology gets old fast. As soon as you buy that cell phone or mp3 player you have been wanting, it is old news. This means people feel the need to continue to purchase the latest and greatest in technology.

The problem becomes what you do with your old electronics. There are a few options. You could donate them, put them in the closet, throw them away, or recycle them.

Obviously, donating them is the best option. Local shelters are always grateful for electronic items.

Although this is the best option, it is probably the least chosen. Maybe you decide to go with option two and put them in the closet. This becomes a problem when you turn into a hoarder as see on A&E’s Hoarders. The people on this show hoard all sorts of items, but several have been hoarders of electronic items. When some people see old thrown out electronics, they see potential. It becomes a concern when your HQWLUH KRXVH LV ¿OOHG EHFDXVH DOO LWHPV KDYH SRWHQWLDO IRU \RX WR GR VRPHWKLQJ ZLWK them. Hoarders is a great show, but not a great way of life. Maybe you have a fear of being a hoarder and refuse to keep items you view as useless in your house and you don’t decide on donating your old electronics. There is option 3. Option 3 is simply to throw it all away. Throwing everything you don’t want in the dumpster is not environmentally responsible so we will just skip this one. We are now at option 4. The last option I have listed (of course you have more options than I gave) is recycling.

This sounds like it would obviously be the best, but it comes with conditions. Most recyclers do not do their jobs properly. According to an NPR article, about 80% of the material gets shipped away. They make money by shipping the electronic waste to countries in Asia such as China. This is a huge problem because the electronic waste is harmful to those people and their environment. Some of it gets burnt which causes harmful chemicals to be released into the air. The citizens of these other countries scavenge the metal from the waste that was shipped to them, breathing in toxic chemicals while they do it. Knowing this, you would be better off throwing your old electronic waste away unless you knew the recycler you were taking it to was being responsible with it. :KLFK RSWLRQ ZLQV" 7KURZLQJ \RXU XQXVHG LWHP V LQ WKH FORVHW FDQ OHDG WR RQH EHFRPLQJ D KRDUGHU 7KDW SUREDEO\ LVQ¶W WKH ZLQQHU 7KH ODQG¿OO GRHVQ¶W QHHG DQ\ more items so that isn’t it. Recycling the unused item(s) will most likely get the waste shipped to China where it is harmful to their citizens. That option for sure isn’t it. The winner is donating the item(s). On top of donating, most items can be refurbished and sold cheaper. This option works out for everyone. Choose donating or refurbishing for your unused electronics.

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Co Blog rn er

Liz  Carrol              Â

Herman  Melville,  the  Psychic?

Being  the  book  enthusiast  that  I  am,  I  was  stumbling  around  the  internet  for  interesting  factoids  about  the  classics  (Jane  Eyre,  Crime  and  Punishment,  A  Tale  of  Two  Cities,  etc.).  What  I  stumbled  upon  surprised  AND  scared  me.  When  I  did  a  little  more  research,  the  whole  story  behind  this  made  me  chuckle.

Now  maybe  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  heard  this  before,  but  I  had  not  the  slightest  of  clue.  Moby  Dick,  the  white  whale  tale,  written  by  Herman  Melville,  has  several  cryptic  â&#x20AC;&#x153;codesâ&#x20AC;?  alluding  to  multiple  assassinations  in  the  worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  history.  You  may  call  it  a  trick  of  the  eye;Íž  I  am  a  skeptic  too,  but  the  research  VD\V \RX FDQ WDNH DQ\ HGLWLRQ DQG ÂżQG WKH VDPH LQGLFDWLRQV Michael  Drosnin,  the  man  who  started  all  this  â&#x20AC;&#x153;code  predictionâ&#x20AC;?  stuff  is  an  author  and  journalist.  Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  most  noted  for  the  book,  Bible  Code,  in  which  he  writes  about  how  certain  assassinations  were  foretold  in  the  Bible,  and  that  he  could  even  predict  the  future  with  the  code.  In  1994,  he  predicted  that  Yitzhak  Rabin,  the  Israeli  Prime  Minister,  would  be  assassinated  and  even  sent  him  a  warning.  When  Rabin  was  assassinated  in  1995,  Drosnin  became  more  convinced  that  his  codes  could  predict  the  future.  This  is  where  Moby  Dick  comes  into  play.  Drosninâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  critics  said  that  although  the  codes  may  be  real,  predicting  the  future  was  a  far  stretch  DQG WKDW WKHUH ZDV QRW HQRXJK HYLGHQFH LQ WKH VFLHQWLÂżF ZRUOG WR PDNH such  a  claim.  They  stated  that  these  â&#x20AC;&#x153;codesâ&#x20AC;?  could  possibly  be  found  in  other  books  as  well.  'URVQLQ FKDOOHQJHG KLV FULWLFV WR ÂżQG WKHVH FRGHV LQ WKH ERRN 0RE\ Dick.  On  June  9,  1997,  he  stated  in  Newsweek  magazine,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;When  P\ FULWLFV ÂżQG D PHVVDJH DERXW WKH DVVDVVLQDWLRQ RI D SULPH PLQLVWHU encrypted  in  Moby  Dick,  Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  believe  them.â&#x20AC;?  Well  Mr.  Drosnin,  you  have  been  called  out.  Brendan  McKay,  a  professor  who  holds  a  Ph.D  in  mathematics,  found  codes  similar  to  those  in  the  Bible.  The  foretold  assassinations  of  Martin  Luther  King,  John  F.  Kennedy,  Indira  Gandhi,  Abraham  Lincoln,  andâ&#x20AC;Ś.  Drum  roll  please!  Yitzhak  Rabin.  There  are  others  but  I  wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  go  on.  If  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d  like  to  see  codes  for  all  of  these  and  more,  go  to  this  website. Â

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Destroying  the  Planet,  One  Electronic  at  a  Time It  seems  global  warming  is  the  least  of  our  problems  when  so  many  people  are  being  affected  by  e-­junk  ZDVWH :KDW LV WKDW \RX DVN" ,I \RX GRQÂśW NQRZ LWV because  it  is  a  problem  that  has  exploded  onto  the  seen  this  past  decade.  Its  one  of  those  problems  that  seems  to  get  swept  under  the  rug  because  big  name  tech  creators  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  want  the  public  to  know  about  its  trash.

(OHFWURQLF ZDVWH LV ROG WHFKQRORJ\ ,WÂśV WKDW ÂżUVW 1RNLD cell  phone  your  parents  bought  you  when  you  turned  16  when  wireless  phones  became  affordable  and  cool.  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  that  98â&#x20AC;&#x2122;  Windows  computer.  To  be  honest,  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  every  single  electronic  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  thrown  away  over  the  years,  in  order  to  be  able  to  buy  that  newer,  cooler  electronic.  And  now,  its  probably  lying  in  some  third  world  country,  polluting  the  land  and  people.  Check  out  the  graph  below.  If  gives  a  pretty  good  summary  of  what  waste  is.

According  to  this  graph,  e-­junk  spans  all  technology.  There  is  so  much  crap  we  are  throwing  DZD\ DQG PRVW RI LW LV EHLQJ ¿OWHUHG RII VKRUH WR FRXQWULHV WKDW FDQœW EHJLQ WR ¿JKW IRU WKHLU right  to  keep  it  out  of  their  dumps.

6L[ \HDUV DJR D VWXG\ ZDV GRQH E\ WKH 1DWLRQDO 6DIHW\ &RXQFLO ¿QGLQJ WKDW RQO\ RI technology  was  recycled.  That  is  huge  when  you  think  of  how  technologically-­oriented  our  country  is  and  the  span  of  our  population.

I  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  think  the  problem  is  that  we  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  want  to  recycle.  Its  that  we  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  know  how.  There  LV QR UHÂżQHG SURFHVV DQG YHU\ IHZ RXWOHWV IRU XV WR JR WR IRU RXU MXQN 6RPH EXVLQHVVHV OLNH Staples  and  Best  Buy  will  have  days  where  they  let  you  bring  in  your  old  computers,  etc.,  but  you  must  be  wary  because  of  these  â&#x20AC;&#x153;so-­calledâ&#x20AC;?  recyclers  are  sending  the  stuff  right  over  to  third  world  countries  like  India. :K\ LV LW VR GDQJHURXV" 0RVW ROG HOHFWURQLFV FRQWDLQ VRPH W\SH RI KDUPIXO SRLVRQ ZKHWKHU it  be  lead  or  cadmium,  or  even  battery  acid.  Third  world  countries  have  enough  problems  without  us  dumping  ours  on  them.

E-­waste  is  the  fastest  growing  waste  in  the  U.S.  We  need  to  do  something  about  it.  The  bad  thing  is,  there  arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  a  lot  of  options.  Boycotting  technology  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  seem  plausible  or  realistic.  Recycling  is  an  option,  but  there  arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  a  lot  of  outlets  close  to  people,  especially  those  in  rural  communities.

However,  if  you  are  interested  in  recycling  that  old  waste,  check  out  National  Center  for  (OHFWURQLFV 5HF\FOLQJ WR ÂżQG UHSXWDEOH UHF\FOHUV ZKR ZLOO GR LW SURSHUO\ The  best  way  to  create  change  is  to  be  knowledgeable  and  to  inform  other  people.  Most  of  America  is  unaware  of  e-­waste  and  the  dangers  it  causes.  It  doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  just  affect  people  thousands  of  miles  away,  it  affects  all  of  us.  Their  planet  is  our  planet.  Keep  that  in  mind.

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